Alone

Link stared at the pile of bodies in disbelief. He was sprinkled with their blood and his own. Even though they had been bad to him, he still felt terrible. His heart weighed a thousand pounds. Tears traveled down his dirty cheeks, and he sniffed and sobbed. He clutched his father's sword tightly. Part of him wanted to stay here and try and forget the whole thing before he was executed, or go out into the forest like the shadow had told him to.

"Link?" he heard his father ask.

He gasped and snapped his head around, to see his father staring at him with wide eyes. He took a cautious step back.

"Link... What in the world happened...? What did you do?!" he asked in a meek, horrified voice, a voice Link had never heard him use before.

Link took a few more steps back. He was going for plan b. The forest.

"Link! Speak to me boy! Did you do this?!" he cried.

Link just turned and started to run as fast as he could towards the village's edge. As he reached the gate, he heard his father shout his name. He also could hear his father running after him.

Link unlocked the gate by un-hooking the chains and unwrapping them in the center, and swung it open. He charged out past a few trees, down an ancient flight of stairs, and out into the open.

"Link! Link, wait! Come back, you'll die out there!" he heard his father cry.

Link didn't care, he knew he would die if he stayed behind. He continued running through the over grown grass in the field as fast as he ould, just in case his father was following. Finally, after running for several minutes, he stopped to rest at a large pine tree out in the open.

He placed a hand on it for support and kept his sword arm hanging down by his side. He took a few deep breath, and turned around. The huge mountain and village at it's foot were far away, and his father was nowhere to be seen.

Link turned back to where he had been running, and took a good look around. Hills and flat land were everywhere, stretching on for miles. There was a tree or large rock hear and there, but nothing much. Mainly just open fields. Link took in one more deep breath before jogging onwards, just in case his father was planning on following again.

He knew from looking at a simple map of Hyrule once when he was a little boy, that the forest was south. But, he wasn't sure which way was south. He could not remember if death mountain was towards the east, or west. That would have helped him guess where he was quite well.

When he got tired of jogging, he slowed down to a walk. He kept his grip on the sword tight, just in case. Link had heard stories of monsters and robbers that inhabited the field. Stalfos and stalchildren, poor men who would kill a child for a small meal, kessees, large carnivorous falcons strong enough to lift a seven year old off the ground. He kept a close eye on the horizon and the ground before him, just in case.

Link remembered one story especially that his father had told him about a boy who was out planning to find a creek to go fishing in in the field, and was attacked by a swarm of falcons and eaten alive. Link shuddered and tried to flag the thought away from his mind. But it was nearly impossible.

He looked up at the sky. The sun was overhead pretty well still, so it was still a bit after noon. Link paid close attention to the sun. Judging by how it was lower in... yes! He figured out which way west was! He was heading west, and east was right behind him, so he could have to take a left to be heading south.

He stopped in his tacks and turned left and started to walk that way. From where he was, he could see no sign of a forest. He still could see the mountain pretty well, but everything else was far below the horizon. Lon Lon Village, Castle Town, Lake Town, Ordon, they were all invisible to him.

-0-

After hours of tramping through the fields, the sun was slowly lowering below the horizon. Link was growing more and more tired by the minute. A strong cramp in his side, and tired, worn legs. He could just barely see a bolder line on the southern horizon, which he hoped was the forest. Long shadows were cast across the ground by the hills and the setting usn behind them. The sky was growing darker to the east, and the sun was turning a golden-orangish color to the west. Turning the clouds red, yellow, and purple.

Chill, evening pre-fall winds were blown across the land, chilling Link to the bone. If he could just reach the forest in time!

As the sky got dark and dark as he walked, he finally broke out into a run. After a while, the horizon began to look like a wall of bushes, then a wall of large shrubs, and then he found himself standing before the woods, with just a tiny bit of sunlight left. He took a moment to catch his breath, thanking the goddesses a monster hadn't attacked him in the fields.

There was no path leading into the woods, which led Link to walk along the edge, looking for some form of trail leading through. Eventually, he found what he was looking for, right when it reached dusk; a pale blue light to the west being the remainder of the sun that once shone.

There was a sign standing before a trail leading deep into the mysterious woods, with read painting marking it.

Link squinted to see through the darkness.

Lost Woods

Do not enter! Head to Ordon instead! West -

Link sighed and past up the sign and into the woods. His eyes darted left and right as he traveled deeper and deeper into the forest, looking for signs of monsters. Hylians did not go into the thick forest much at all. They usually went to Ordon village alone, which Link thought was far more west in the woods than where he was.

But he was sure since it was an evil shadow, and it didn't say Ordon, that it would be in the wilderness.

He kept his sword raised in a defensive stance, just in case something jumped out at hi,. The trail was narrow and just faintly lit by the rising moon. Roots and thorns crossed the trail, so Link was careful with watching his step. He felt alone and helpless, looking for something he didn't even know about.

Then, after almost and hour of cautious sneaking thorugh the woods, he heard the leafs rustle off in the woods. He stopped instantly and put both hands on his sword, ready to fight. Then he heard a shout, and a few loud sounds he couldn't make out. Then he heard footsteps rushing through the woods, heading towards him!

He turned towards the noise and prepared for the worst. He cried out as a man shot out from a bush right in front of him. The main was bleeding, and looked frightened. He cried out in response when he saw Link, and staggered back and landed on his bottom. Link took a step back, staring at the man and the broken spear he held.

The man stared and him, and after a few more leaves rustling, he jumped up," Boy! What're you doing out here alone? It's da- oh never mind! Follow me and keep up! We're being chased right now!"

The man took off down the trail, and Link sprinted after him. He heard a few loud whistles as if they were coming from a flute, and things rushing through the branches somewhere in the woods not far behind them.

Link hated running after the super long walk he had that day, but the sudden fear hand sent his adrenaline pumping, making him keep running after the man at all costs.

Eventually, they emerged in a large clearing, where there was a large spear-headed fence and a tall metal gate before them. The man led him up to it and knocked.

"Open up! Open up, I'm being attacked!" he yelled.

A second later, there was a click, and then the gate swung open. Link followed the man in as the gate was closed behind them. He stopped a moment to catch his breath and gather his bearings. He looked up at the man.

He had dropped his broken spear, and was laying on the ground, heaving. His hair was brown and messy, and he wore a large, brown tunic, which was torn in several areas. It was supported by an old leather belt with a rusty buckle. His sandals were broken and tossed to the side, probably broke in the fight the man was in.

Small huts surrounded Link, and around them, there was that same metal fence at the edge of the woods. There were a few large trees in the little village, along with tree houses in some of them and one or two small lookout towers.

A few mean carrying spears and dressed much like Link's rescuer ran up from a rather large hut. There were seven of them. Three stooped down by the man and started to lift him up.

The other four made a square formation around Link and pointed their spears at them. The oldest spoke," What are you doing here?"

Link hesitated,"Um, I-I... Is this Ordon Village?"

"Ordon?" The man began in a mystified tone of voice," Where's Ordon?"